14 DAY TRIAL // Just the other day, Katie Holmes was talking with obvious pride about her work on the 8-part mini-series “The Kennedys,” which was supposed to debut in the US this spring. History Channel has just canceled it, saying it wasn’t historically accurate enough.
The docu-series has been surrounded in controversy ever since it was still in project stage, with Kennedy historians trashing the first drafts of the script for not staying true to fact.
After several re-writes and even more controversy, the series eventually got the greenlight from historians – and producers managed to bring some of the biggest names to star in it as leads.
Which makes the news of the cancelation all the more shocking, as The Hollywood Reporter also points out.
“Upon completion of the production of The Kennedys, History has decided not to air the 8-part miniseries on the network,” a rep for A&E, parent of History, says for THR in a statement.
“While the film is produced and acted with the highest quality, after viewing the final product in its totality, we have concluded this dramatic interpretation is not a fit for the History brand,” the same statement reads.
Again, the announcement comes after the mini-series got approval from all parties concerned and after it was completed. The inaccuracies are supposed to be so significant they can’t be fixed in post-production or with reshoots.
However, fans in the US can still hold on to hope, because the mini-series may be picked by another network, as also was the case with the equally controversial “The Reagans,” THR says.
A statement from production companies Asylum Pictures and Muse would seem to confirm that, even if it’s not offering any details as to when that may happen.
“Although we regret this does not fit into the History Channel’s plans, we are confident that television viewers in the United States will join viewers from around the world in having an opportunity to watch this series in the near future,” reads a joint statement from the production companies.
“The Kennedys” starts airing in Canada on March 6, and will also run internationally. Check out the official trailer for it below.